# Missouri Meerschaum Cob Repair



## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Or 'How to Waste WAY Too Much Time on a Corn Cob Pipe'

So I get my new $4.00 MM cob in the mail today with a bunch of different tobaccos to try and lo and behold, the bowl has a couple, almost imperceptible cracks around the rim. No biggie I thought, must be the nature of the beast. So I load it up with some Bob's Chocolate Flake @*Tobias Lutz* recommendation and proceed to give 'er a try. (wonderful tobacco btw...) Well, what to my wandering eyes did appear? The cracks are growing larger and larger as I smoke! This just will not do!










Now I could have just called up Missouri Meerschaum and complained and got another pipe in the mail in a few days, but what fun is that? Not only that, but I just got a brand new indexable boring bar I've been wanting to try. Looking around in the scrap pile, smoking my busted pipe, I spied a short bar end of 1 1/2" diameter, 6061 aluminum. After careful measuring of the bowl and guessing the compressibility of a dry corn cob, I decided a 0.020" press would suffice, and I turned out this reinforcement ring, replete with flame shield on top.










So here's the pipe and ring, ready for assembly. Pipe's still burning by the way...










Then, after pressing the ring on and staking it in place so it wont slip off... Voila!! One extra severe service, 4 dollar corncob pipe! Not only that, but I smoked the thing the whole time I made and installed the ring and it didn't even go out once 










Yeah I know I'm a little nuts but I like a challenge.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

Fancy. 

Seriously nice work.


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## Chris0673 (Aug 20, 2012)

You must have watched a lot of MacGyver as a kid! LOL That is a really cool solution.


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## Torque (Mar 10, 2013)

Hmmm, I see opportunity in that for you. Might you be the next cob mod guy to hit the scene? I might would order one of those just to hide the charring on the rim. Nice solution


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

Nice repair and, on balance, a dreadful waste of effort. I fully approve.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

I'll be honest, I opened the thread thinking "why would you bother repairing an MM?". Then I saw the pics and thought "Damn, that's slick". Nice work. I would send a picture to the guys at MM though just so they know about the quality issue. Good companies want to know when customers have issues so that they can be investigated.


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## Chris0673 (Aug 20, 2012)

I second the above motion!


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Good idea to let them know about it. Email sent!

I have a couple more cobs (a diplomat and a 5th ave) coming from Walker Briar with forever stems in them.
AND... I have a bar end of 1 3/4", 110 copper. I *might* just have to do something similar to the new pipes. :biggrin:
I imagine copper, once it oxidizes to a deep brown, would look very nice.
I'd have to keep it thin though. Copper's heavy and I like the lightness of the cob pipes



> Hi MM guys (and gals).
> 
> Just to let you know&#8230;
> 
> ...


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

Emperor Zurg said:


> I'd have to keep it thin though. Copper's heavy and I like the lightness of the cob pipes


It would be better spun from sheet rather than turned.


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## TTecheTTe (Jun 10, 2012)

Oh, CI, that explains it.


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Check this out - Missouri Meerschaum is sending me a couple free pipes   
Make note of it: this is a good company to deal with!!



> Thanks so much for the email. Cracks occur occasionally in our pipes, and we will always replace them with no questions asked, regardless of where you bought them. Sometimes the cobs have defects that we can't see until they have aged some or until they have been smoked. We are very sorry for the defective pipe and for the inconvenience. That being said, we greatly admire your novel approach to making the pipe smokable! It actually is a variation on a pipe we made years ago called the Aristocob, which had an aluminum body with a corn cob bowl insert.
> Thanks for being so kind, understanding and resourceful, and for smoking our pipes. I know you didn't ask for it, but we are sending you a couple new Missouri Prides just for winning the award for most novel approach to repairing a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe!
> 
> Phil Morgan
> ...


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

steinr1 said:


> It would be better spun from sheet rather than turned.


Clearly.

But I don't have equipment to spin sheet metal... however, I do have a metal lathe.


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## Kevin Keith (Jan 24, 2010)

Good job, I approve. Carry on!


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